


Love Like Ghosts

by schrodingers__cat



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst without a happy ending, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, One Shot, Pre-Canon, Short One Shot, This ran away from me, based on a theory, callum is totally half-elf, i love my kids but I love making myself sad more, it technically takes place during canon, like really short, oh well, this was made before s2 dropped so, well mostly, written like a letter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-14 05:45:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16034198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schrodingers__cat/pseuds/schrodingers__cat
Summary: Yes, I know, that love is like ghostsFew have seen it, but everybody talksSpirits follow everywhere I goThey sing all day, and they haunt me in the night





	Love Like Ghosts

**Author's Note:**

> Title and summary from Lord Huron’s song “Love Like Ghosts.”

“This is it.”  
The grizzled soldier and his younger subordinate stayed their horses and dismounted among the blackened ground. The distant sound of crows and smell of ever-burnt wood permeated the air, creating an altogether uninviting atmosphere.  
“This is where... it happened?”  
“No use dancing around the truth, son.”  
The younger soldier took a deep breath.  
“So this is where the Queen was killed?”  
“Aye.”  
They were both silent for a moment, picking their way across the carnage.  
“This is where her tent stood, if the old plans are correct. We could put the monument here.”  
“No. She’d want it farther east. Towards the front lines. Where every Elf can see it and they will tremble in fear of the woman who singlehandedly closed the breach, with a smile on her face and the King’s wedding ring on her finger.”  
The younger soldier nodded, but was distracted by a fluttering on the ground. After a second of searching, he discovered the source of the sound was a bit of parchment. It was blackened by soot, extremely fragile from being soaked in rain, and half of it was missing, but somehow pieces were still readable. Even after all these years.

_see...yo...a..ain...nd home seems so far away, these days. Where my family waits for me. I’m glad to be here, though, I’m safe in the arms of the woman I love. Well, as safe as one can be, when one is fighting for the Breach. I know it seems as if I never shut up about her, but my wife is one of the few lights in this life. When the sky is shadowed, when I am shut away from the rain, all I need to do is see her face and I am whole again. And on the battlefield! She is glorious. Her hair shimmers in the wind, and her eyes burn blue like the sky at home. Exactly like it, in fact. You understand now why I married her, yes dear brother? Hmm?  
Jokes aside, she truly looks like a queen in those moments. It makes me wonder who she could have been, had I not dragged her down and given her my heart... and a bit more. That’s right, Adhar. She gave birth to our child a few months ago. He has our family’s eyes! Everything else belongs to her, though she swears tha.. h...h..rn.... ...n....a... b....llu..m...child... hea.....swe....or....d...e_

The letter faded away, covered in ashes and torn by rain, but it seemed to pick up again farther down the parchment.

_d...the....h....est.... pa..n.... lo... , but I’m going to be fine. With these two precious beings in my life, how could I not be?_  
_I know you can’t be happy with my decision, but one day there will be peace, and you will see things my way. I just know it. How could I be so lucky, if I was wrong?  
Adhar, you must give this to Mother and Father, you know they won’t understand, and tell them that I ha_

The letter stopped abruptly. There was only a bit remaining, towards the bottom of the parchment. The handwriting lost any semblance of neatness it once had, replaced by hurried, scrawling script.  
The young man was a bit worried for the long-gone soldier, whoever he had been, despite himself.

_I must be brief. Moonshadows are coming for us. For me, most likely. You won’t see me again. I’m sorry. I pray you receive this letter, Adhar. If you find my son or my wife, take care of them for me, whether they need it or not. You will know my wife by the silver ring on her finger, and my son by his eyes. Stay safe. I love y_

The young soldier shivered. He suddenly very much hoped the dark splotches on the edges of the parchment weren’t blood.  
For some reason, he pocketed the letter. Maybe a mage would be able to make sense of it. Find the owner, the wife, or the son. Who knows? Maybe they were all still alive.  
_Unlikely_ , said a small voice inside him. _Shut up_ , he retorted.  
“Hey! Marcos! I think I found the perfect spot, kid!”  
“Coming, sir!”  
Marcos let his thoughts of the ruined family slip from his mind. He had a monument to his Queen to build.

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to @x-adia on tumblr for the half-Sky Elf callum theory.  
> This was written late at night and with great urgency so I wouldn’t forget the idea, so I apologize if it looks rushed, but I just love the half-Elf callum theory, and I also love Queen Serai. @canon who was her first husband before our beautiful dad harrow??? I must know.  
> Anyyyywayyyyyy thank you so much for reading!!!! Comments and kudos are appreciated, but not required! Love ya!


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